Lando Norris insisted the collision with Oscar Piastri that noticed each McLarens retire from the Dash won’t change his method to the beginning of Sunday’s United States Grand Prix as he vowed to go for the win on what might a show an important day in F1’s title race.
On the finish of a tumultuous Saturday for McLaren after their title-contending drivers collided for the second successive weekend – this time to race-ending impact – on the first nook of the Dash race, Norris bounced again to a larger diploma than Piastri within the later qualifying session for the Grand Prix to take second on the grid behind Max Verstappen.
Championship chief Piastri struggled to sixth place, a beginning place which opens the door for each Verstappen and Norris to take extra factors out of the Australian’s dwindling title lead in Sunday’s 56-lap race.
And Norris, who trails his team-mate by 22 factors having outscored him within the earlier three grands prix, says what occurred within the Dash has no bearing on his mindset for the race.
Requested by Sky Sports activities F1 if he would method Sunday’s begin to the uphill Flip One any in a different way, Norris mentioned: “No, as a result of evaluating to this morning, I did nothing unsuitable there.
“I wish to win. I hate standing on the second or third step [of the podium], I might moderately not be there.
“I’m here to win the races and I’ll try and do that, so I’ll do everything I need to do to take that opportunity.”
Norris will share the entrance row with Verstappen for the second day operating on the Circuit of the Americas.
Nonetheless, not like in Friday’s Dash Qualifying when the 2 drivers had been separated by simply 0.071s, the hole on Saturday between the vehicles grew to a extra dominant 0.291s within the Pink Bull’s favour.
Norris described his McLaren as having been “just impossible to drive” round a bumpy observe, which made him qualifying second “almost a surprise”.
And given the always-limited apply operating on a Dash weekend and the truth that neither McLaren automotive accomplished a lap of the Dash, Norris conceded they go into Sunday dealing with loads of unknowns.
“We have not done more than three laps in a row and not more than 40kg of fuel. I have no idea. We don’t know if it will be amazing or terrible,” he mentioned.
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Jenson Button and Karun Chandok are joined by George Russell to analyse the Flip 1 incident involving the Mclarens on the US GP Dash.
“It’s so difficult with the bumps, the bottoming, the wind. It’s unpredictable.
“We had been hoping to study so much from the Dash by way of how the automotive set-up adjustments from qualifying to the race, then make tweaks. That did not go to plan, so we’re on the backfoot. I assume we are going to strive to not use that as an excuse tomorrow.”
Do McLaren still have an ace up their sleeve for race?
After an initial challenge from Mercedes’ George Russell, Verstappen ultimately won the 19-lap Sprint comfortably enough from pole to cut his championship deficit to Piastri to 55 points.
But amid weekend-long warm weather in Austin, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella remains hopeful that his team’s renowned tyre-degradation strengths will ultimately pay dividends compared to Red Bull over the full race distance.
“We have to show now that we’re robust from a racing viewpoint,” Stella advised Sky Sports activities F1.
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Highlights from the Dash Race at the USA Grand Prix.
“We look forward to having some racing tomorrow, because it was definitely very disappointing not being part of the Sprint.
“Like I mentioned earlier than the Dash, if we are able to have some racing, I believe we are able to make the most of the strengths of the automotive, particularly in scorching circumstances and when we now have tyre degradation.
“We look forward to tomorrow, that’s our objective, and we have to stay focused.”
Piastri: This weekend is way from over
Staying centered is now clearly a key requirement for Piastri’s weekend, after the championship-leading driver adopted up McLaren’s Dash wipe-out – brought about after he collided with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg to set off a series response – along with his second-worst qualifying results of the season.
Piastri, who has not overwhelmed both Norris or Verstappen in a race since successful the Dutch Grand Prix on the finish of August and had already certified behind each on Friday, admits he “struggled” all through Saturday’s session.
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Mclarens present inconsistent efficiency as Lando Norris secures entrance row with Oscar Piastri solely managing P6 after US GP qualifying.
Nonetheless, the Australian is way from writing his weekend off but from the third row.
“Obviously, when you don’t have the pace you want, it’s never the nicest feeling,” mentioned Piastri.
“But there’s a lot of opportunities tomorrow, there’s strategy things, hopefully our race pace will be good, it’s a track you can overtake on, so we’ll see what we can do.
“The weekend is way from over.”
Will Red Bull tweaks prove ‘good enough’ for Verstappen?
McLaren’s travails continue to prove good news for Verstappen and Red Bull as their once-unlikely championship comeback threatens to gather even more momentum from the head of the grid on Sunday.
Verstappen himself, though, cautioned after winning the Sprint that Red Bull “should be a bit higher in race trim to have the ability to struggle the McLarens” as “we have not seen something of them”.
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Max Verstappen felt a ‘robust’ Pink Bull group efficiency helped him to pole in Austin.
Like all groups, Pink Bull can have been in a position to change their automotive’s set-up between the tip of the Dash and primary qualifying in a bid to dial in a extra optimum stability for the challenges of the Grand Prix.
“I hope it’s better for tomorrow. It’s difficult to say what will happen,” mentioned Verstappen.
“I felt a bit happier with the car compared to yesterday’s qualifying, so I hope that’s enough for the race.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s dwell United States GP schedule
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Look again at a number of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the USA Grand Prix
Sunday October 19
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: United States GP build-up*
8pm: THE UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: United States GP response
11pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Primary Occasion
Components 1 is in North America for the USA Grand Prix in Austin, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 and Sky Sports activities Primary Occasion with Sunday’s race at 8pm (build-up from 6.30pm). Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
